A California school superintendent was axed just days after the district was ordered to pay a $27 million settlement to the family of a 13-year-old boy who died following an attack from bullies at his middle school.
The Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Education voted 3-2 last Tuesday to remove Dr. Martinrex Kedziora following a three-hour meeting behind closed doors, KTLA 5 reports.
Kedziora, who served the district since 2017, was fired less than a week after the board agreed to pay the settlement to the family of Diego Stolz, who died after being assaulted by classmates in 2019.
The eighth-grader’s aunt and uncle, his legal guardians, said school officials were aware of the bullying Stolz suffered, but did nothing to prevent it even after assuring them that the issue would be resolved.
The grieving family claimed the bullies were never justly suspended, allowing the fatal assault to take place at the Landmark Middle School in September 2019.
Dr. Martinrex Kedziora was ousted from the Moreno Valley Unified School District last week.Moreno Valley Unified School District/YouTube
The educator was fired in a 3-2 vote less than a week after the district agreed to pay a $27 million settlement to the family of the late Diego Stolz, 13.
Graphic video captured the moment Stolz was attacked by one of the teens, who sucker-punched him in the face.
After the strike, Stolz could be seen stepping back before the second student nails him in the back of the head, causing the 13-year-old to go down and hit his head against a pillar.
The blows left Stolz with traumatic brain injury, and he died just nine days later.
Despite pleading guilty to manslaughter charges, the bullies only served 47 days in juvenile hall.
Video captured the moment Stolz was attacked and his head slammed against a pillar, leaving him with traumatic brain damage that caused his death. ABC 7
Students at the Landmark Middle School held a vigil for the dead classmate in 2020. AP
The incident left the community in shock, with parent Yerenia Barrera cheering for Kedziora’s ousting, accusing the superintendent of being hands-off when it came to issues of bullying in the district.
“He’s leaving everything to the teachers to do all the work and all the cleanup and all he does is just go to shows or presentations,” Barrera, who says she has tried to speak to him about her own child’s bullying issue, told KTLA.
While some celebrated Kedziora’s leave, others claimed he had been wrongfully blamed for the district’s overall failures.
The assault happened at the Landmark Middle School in September 2019. Google Maps
“He’s one of the most amazing people I have ever met,” parent Kristina Horta told the local outlet. “He’s a champion for public education, a champion for parent involvement.”
The Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Education and Kedziora could not be immediately reached for comment. The district has said it would not comment on the settlement.
The district has appointed an interim superintendent until a replacement for Kedziora can be found.
Along with Kedziora being let go, the Landmark Middle School replaced principal Scott Walker just six weeks after Stolz’s death.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2023/09/24/superintendent-fired-after-27m-lawsuit-settlement-to-family-of-boy-who-died-in-bully-attack/